Folding boat



(No Model.) 4

J. H. RUSHTON.

FOLDING BOAT.

No. 541,778. Patented June 25, 1895.

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UNiTnn STATns ATENT FFllL'lEo JOHN H. RUSHTON, on oANToN, NEW YORK.

FOLDING BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,778, dated June 25,1895 Application filed February 19, 1895- Serial No. 538,926. (Nomodel.)

To 00% whom/112$ may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. RUsHToN, of Canton, in the county of St.Lawrence and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved FoldingBoat, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved folding orcollapsible boat,

uprights for supporting the gunwale and hinged to the said bottom.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isa sideelevation of the improva ment, with parts in section onthe line l1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, onthe line 2+2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one end of the boat;and Fig. 4. is a transverse section of a modified form of theimprovement.

The improved boat is provided with a solid bottom A, shaped according tothe form desired to be given to the boat,either pointed at the ends orsquare at one or both ends as the case may be. The bottom A ispreferably made of two layers of wood A, A screwed or otherwise fastenedtogether, with a fabric 13 of canvas or other waterproof material placedbetween the two layers, as indicated in the drawings. This fabric isextended beyond the edges of the bottom A, so as to form the sides ofthe boat,and as this fabric is collapsible, it can readily be folded ona level with the bottom when the boat is not in use. The upper edge ofthis fabric 13, forming the sides as well as the ends of the boat, isprovided with a top edge or rim 0, preferably made of wood and composedof the gunwale C and the inwale. Q secured one to the other, with theupper edge of the canvas between the gunwale and the inwale. Now, inorder to hold the fabric'B in a stretched position when the boat isto beused, Iprovidea series of supporting t-imbers called uprights or kneesD, each formed at its upper end with a notch D engaging'the under sideof-the inner face of the inwale C as is plainly indicated in thedrawings. Fastening devices such as hooks and eyes, may be employed toconnect the gunwale and the inwaie firmly to the upper end of the knee.The lower end inside by a hinge E, with a rib F, secured to the bottom Aof the boat, as is plainly shown in the drawings, the said rib B beingpreferably extended across the bottom for the side uprights and a rib isplaced longitudinally at of each of the uprights D is connected at itseach end'of the boat for the uprights orknees at the ends.

The ribs, besides strengthening the botttoin of the boat to prevent thesame from warping, also support bolts or pins H, engaged by,

when moved sidewise, can be disengaged from" the end of the bolt H, soas to permit of folding the corresponding upright D inwardly upon therib F, as indicated at the left in Fig. 2. Each brace G serves to holdits corresponding upright D in a proper inclined position, to hold therim 0 of the boat in proper position, and the canvas side stretchedbetween the edge of the bottomA'and the rim C.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described, the several parts arerigidly connected with each other, so that when the parts are folded upas described, they cannot get lost, and in setting up the boat theseveral parts are easily put into proper position without causing theuser of the boat to hunt for the individual parts.

The fabric B may not be placed entirely between the two layers'A', A asit may be extended only a short distance between the layers, from theedges inward.

In making the boat with a square end or ends, I dispense with thearrangement of stem and gunwales as shown in Fig. 3, and substitutetherefor the arrangementshown in Fig. 2 with the addition of crosspieces or gunwales connecting the two sides 0' and the canvas which maybea'continuation of either the side or bottom fabric.

Strips of wood called battens may be attached to the canvas sides andrun from stem to stern, being placed between and parallel to thegunwales and bottom, thus strengthening the sides, such battens notinterfering with the folding properties of the boat.

The gunwale and inwale of each side (port and starboard) being bent toproper shape, while in separate strips and then firmly fastenedtogether, retain their shape. The gunwale and inwale are firmly fastenedtogether at their ends by metal bands C as indicated in Fig. 3, the saidstrips being attached to the outer face of the gu'nwale C, as will bereadily understood by reference to the said figure. Two bands or stripsare preferably employed at each end and the inwales, port and starboard,are first fastened togetherindependently of the gunwales.

As shown in Fig. 4, each upright D may be provided at its upper end withan inwardly extending bar I, connected to the upright by a hinge J, andheld in a horizontal position by a brace K, connected with the pivot forthe brace G on the upright D. 'lhisinwardly projecting bar I is adaptedto receive the lengthened sides of the fabric B, so as to form a partialdeck for the boat.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A folding boat, comprising a solid bottomformed of two layers, a fabric secured between the layers of the bottomand forming the sides and ends of the boat, a rim secured to the edge ofthe fabric and formed of a gunwale and inwale ribs secured on thebottom, knees hinged at the inside to the ribs with their lower endsresting upon the said ribs and having their upper ends notched to engagethe inwale, and braces hinged to the knees and having their inner lowerends detachably secured to the ribs, substantially as described.

2. In a folding boat, the combination with the bottom, fabric secured tothe bottom and forming the sides and ends of the boat, a gunwale securedto the edge of the fabric, and uprights hinged to the bottom and havingtheir upper ends engaging the gunwale, of inwardly extending bars hingedto the upper ends of the uprights, and braces secured to the bars and tothe uprights, substantially as and for the'purpose set forth.

3. A folding boat, comprising a solid bottom, a fabric attached to thesaid bottom and extended beyond the edges thereof'to form the sides ofthe boat, a rim formed of a gunwale and an inwale attached to oneanother, with the upper edge of the fabric between the two, an uprightengaging with its upper, notched end the said inwale, a rib secured tothe said bottom and connected by a hinge with the corresponding uprightterminating at its lower end on the said rib, a brace for connectingeach upright with the corresponding rib, and an inwardly extendingbarhinged to the upper end of each upright and supported by a bracetherefrom, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN H. RUSH'lON.

Witnesses:

S. D. KIMBALL, CLARANCE S. 0001;.

